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WindowBlinds 11 Public Beta 2 Release Thread

WindowBlinds 11 Public Beta 2 Release Thread

With the WindowBlinds 11 Public Beta 2 release, we are creating this thread so that users can report any observed issues.  

Obtaining WindowBlinds Beta 2

Object Desktop members can get the release from within Object Desktop Manager 

Individual purchases (as well as Object Desktop Members) can also be obtained from your account page: https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products

For guest check-out purchase (no account), from this link: http://www.stardock.com/support/productkeyretrieval

Reporting an issue

Please include the following for anything found:

  • Exact Windows version \ build (winver.exe)
  • Detailed steps to recreate the issue seen
  • Screenshots and videos are very helpful.  Videos can be uploaded to a cloud drive services (GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive, YouTube) and links included in your post.  Images can be directly added.
  • If there are specific apps that the app does not work (well) with, please note what apps and their exact versions.  If any app is not common, a link to a trial version would be appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and any time you put into making WindowBlinds a better product.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

335,479 views 157 replies
Reply #126 Top

Quoting Water777, reply 122

Hi, I just bought WindowsBlinds 11 to install on my Windows 11 on Parallels Desktop on Mac.



Microsoft Windows

Version 21H2 (OS Build 22000.194)


I got this error during install:



"WB11 Config

WindowBlinds has detected a problem with core files.

Please contact support with error message -7"

Any ideas how to fix this sh!t?

It's literally a fresh install of Windows 11 done 2 days ago and I have literally zero issues with any other app or software installation. Thankss! 


If this is an AMD/Intel chip setup then let Windows install all the updates.  You are on a very old install of Win11 and it needs more updates to install first.

Reply #127 Top

Ive noticed some programs darken all of the controls/window frame due to the new dark mode options in wb11 even though im using light mode in windows settings. ShareX/Sublime text 4 are a few programs I have noticed ignoring the windows settings. This darken the window frames/controls feature should have a option in wb to turn on only if the theme does not provide dark mode images. It should never be on by default. Causes to many issues with themes already provided by stardock and the hundreds of skins the the gallery that may never get an update. A theme should look how it applies, no modifications to it unless that option is to be enabled.

Reply #128 Top

Quoting SimplexDesigns, reply 127

Ive noticed some programs darken all of the controls/window frame due to the new dark mode options in wb11 even though im using light mode in windows settings. ShareX/Sublime text 4 are a few programs I have noticed ignoring the windows settings. This darken the window frames/controls feature should have a option in wb to turn on only if the theme does not provide dark mode images. It should never be on by default. Causes to many issues with themes already provided by stardock and the hundreds of skins the the gallery that may never get an update. A theme should look how it applies, no modifications to it unless that option is to be enabled.

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If an app is using dark frames then that is exactly what the app requested.  There would no doubt be a setting in those apps which is set to dark mode.  The global OS setting is purely an option for the user to indicate their preference but an app is free to ignore it if they want.

WB already has an option to disable the auto dark mode support in beta 2.

Be aware that some apps (notepad in newer Win11 builds) use hardcoded text colour for the caption so if they are in dark mode you would get less than ideal results if you disable WB's auto dark mode support.

Reply #129 Top

Quoting Neil, reply 128

If an app is using dark frames then that is exactly what the app requested.  There would no doubt be a setting in those apps which is set to dark mode.  The global OS setting is purely an option for the user to indicate their preference but an app is free to ignore it if they want.

WB already has an option to disable the auto dark mode support in beta 2.

Be aware that some apps (notepad in newer Win11 builds) use hardcoded text colour for the caption so if they are in dark mode you would get less than ideal results if you disable WB's auto dark mode support.

 That option needs to be disabled by default. It should not do it right out of the box. Please make sure its off by default by final release. Many people here are not a fan of it. We should not have to turn it off on our own. Its not a feature many of us wanted here. There are plenty of complaints about it here and in beta 1 thread. This was never an issue with windows 10 + windowblinds 10 combo. It was introduced with your feature  added in wb11 beta 1. There will be many new users that buy the program and wonder why the themes they use look odd. Its creates confusion.

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Reply #130 Top

@basj, I don't have Windows 11 yet but I suppose I will eventually get a new PC with Windows 11, and then I'll be putting WB 11 on it.

Which WB skin are you showing in your screenshot (the one that shows Control Panel and File Explorer)?

Thanks.

Reply #131 Top

All,

Don't usually cross-post but Start11 is important where WB is concerned.

Start11 1.32 Beta was released today:

https://forums.stardock.com/515472/start11-132-beta-feedback-thread

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Reply #132 Top

Quoting basj, reply 125


Quoting Robert84MK,

Disable antivirus and then install WB.



No, he is on Mac, which probably on ARM chips which is not compatible with Stardock Software product. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M1

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant




Hello, no, my processor is: "2.9 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i9" 

WindowsDefender has been disabled, to no avail, same error during install. 

Reply #133 Top

Quoting Rookie2019, reply 130

@basj, I don't have Windows 11 yet but I suppose I will eventually get a new PC with Windows 11, and then I'll be putting WB 11 on it.

Which WB skin are you showing in your screenshot (the one that shows Control Panel and File Explorer)?

Thanks.

I am using my Windows 10 as my main PC. My Win11 is on Virtual box.

The WB skin on that screenshot is Diamond.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #134 Top

Quoting Water777, reply 132

Hello, no, my processor is: "2.9 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i9"

WindowsDefender has been disabled, to no avail, same error during install.

Please refer to Dev post above.

Quoting Neil, reply 126

If this is an AMD/Intel chip setup then let Windows install all the updates. You are on a very old install of Win11 and it needs more updates to install first.

It best for you to update your Windows 11 to updates. It should be on latest official release 22H2.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

 

Reply #135 Top

Quoting basj, reply 133


Quoting Rookie2019,

@basj, I don't have Windows 11 yet but I suppose I will eventually get a new PC with Windows 11, and then I'll be putting WB 11 on it.

Which WB skin are you showing in your screenshot (the one that shows Control Panel and File Explorer)?

Thanks.



I am using my Windows 10 as my main PC. My Win11 is on Virtual box.

The WB skin on that screenshot is Diamond.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Thank you very much, it looks like Stardock has done a good job approximating the Aero Glass translucent effect for Windows 11. I was afraid that with Win11 this would no longer be possible. :congrat:  

 

Reply #136 Top

What will be the size limit of the start button in the next version of windows 11? I plan on updating my themes soon and would like to know its limit.

Reply #137 Top

Quoting SimplexDesigns, reply 136

What will be the size limit of the start button in the next version of windows 11? I plan on updating my themes soon and would like to know its limit.

I was informed it is at 48x48 pixels Max. 48 is default height for Win11 taskbar. But Win10 is only at 40.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #138 Top

Then why start orb is too small on Start10 and Start11 ?

Reply #139 Top

Quoting basj, reply 137

But Win10 is only at 40.
Obviously, that can't be right. Taskbar on the screenshot below is 55 pixels:

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Reply #140 Top

Quoting Robert84MK, reply 138

Then why start orb is too small on Start10 and Start11 ?

You're referring to which Orb?

Quoting JanOscar, reply 139

Obviously, that can't be right. Taskbar on the screenshot below is 55 pixels:

I believe we were talking about Startbutton, not taskbar size, no?

That Start Button is at 48x62px. From Dark Mode by Vad_M, yes? Yes it might work now for the length part, but might not work in the future for Windows 11 as Neil mentioned.

 

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #141 Top

Quoting JanOscar, reply 139


Quoting basj,

But Win10 is only at 40.

Obviously, that can't be right. Taskbar on the screenshot below is 55 pixels:


The Win10 taskbar defaults to 40 pixels tall, the Win11 one 48.  Be aware that scaling modes would increase this and on Win11 there is some control with Start11 running to allow you to have small and large sizes which would be bigger, but for WB on its own the limit is 48*scaling factor of the screen.

In insider dev/beta releases the limit will be the same size as the OS start button and this will be strictly enforced and buttons will simply be made to resize if they are too large.  That said right now WB11 will not support the new taskbar in those insider builds at all and will not be modified for support until the new MS taskbar gets to a release version of Windows.

Reply #142 Top

Regarding the start10 style skinning options in skinstudio11. There are no examples of any of these new options to work with so Im going in blind for these new features of start11/wb11 skinning.

Issue #1: Is there an option to give the upper section a margin by moving the content downward at all?

Issue #2: Where would the white text be located. I thought changing the font color under advance values> Start11.Win10 > Text but it seems to do nothing.

Reply #143 Top

Skins included in Wb11 should be refreshed.

Authors should create and include new versions of Echo and Corporate, which will automatically switch between light/dark mode for Windows 11.

I'm trying to make a dark version in skinstudio, from my favorite skin; but I failed at buttons and sliders. It's very hard work for an amateur graphic designer.

Reply #144 Top

Quoting antarktis, reply 143

Skins included in Wb11 should be refreshed.

Authors should create and include new versions of Echo and Corporate, which will automatically switch between light/dark mode for Windows 11.

I'm trying to make a dark version in skinstudio, from my favorite skin; but I failed at buttons and sliders. It's very hard work for an amateur graphic designer.

There are some updates in progress with some default skins, including adding the Windows 10 & 11 menu styles

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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Reply #145 Top

I hope skins that don't copy Necro-Systems are in that plan, too.

 

Reply #147 Top

Ok, now all of a sudden, when I load a WB skin, my wallpaper goes solid black.

 

Reply #148 Top

Quoting Robert84MK, reply 146

Vista/7

 

Would really appreciate if you can point me directly to which ever WB skin you're referring at.

Edited, somehow the quote system having issue with me. Sorry Sir.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #149 Top

That is a weird quote.

Reply #150 Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 147

Ok, now all of a sudden, when I load a WB skin, my wallpaper goes solid black.

 

Is WB set to change the wallpaper?